The Break
by dshell99
Summary: Kevin comes home for spring break and through decisions made together and apart, he and Edd course through a series of events that threaten to break them up for good. Disclaimer: I don't own Ed, Edd, N Eddy. I only own my plot. Nat goes to C2ndy2c1d. Rave goes to Eyugho.
1. Morning Surprise

_*BEEP BEEP*_

 _*BEEP BEEP*_

Edd groaned as he rolled over and slammed his hand down on his alarm clock, before fumbling a bit and switching it off.

He hissed out a pained sigh as he did his best to _gently_ rub the sleep out of his tired, raw eyes.

But they flew open as he yawned because he felt the dull ache of a headache coming on from crying himself to sleep the night before.

He stretched and caught a fading scent in his _borrowed_ tshirt that used to envelope him and it simultaneously made his heart soar and stomach sink.

When he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, he reached a hand out to pick up the picture on his nightstand that he had placed facedown the night before, but decided against it and trudged to the window across the room that faced another he loved to look into so much across the street, slammed it shut and locked it, then drug himself into the bathroom for another lonely shower.

* * *

Kevin heard the hallway bathroom's door _slam_ as he crept into the house from the garage's side door, thankful that the key Edd had given him when he graduated still worked.

Since he figured that _that_ slam meant Edd was up, albeit later than usual and not in the best mood to boot, he decided that breakfast was in order.

But after checking the fridge, freezer, cupboards, pantry, and even the deep freezer in the garage, he saw that breakfast would have be to be taken _out_.

He made coffee for himself and tea for Edd as he tried to figure out why _Double D,_ the most pulled together of the three Eds, would be down to bare bones necessities.

* * *

Edd tossed the shirt into his hamper with the rest of his sleep clothes and turned on the shower so it could warm up while he brushed his teeth.

He grabbed the near empty bottle of lube he kept hidden away in the back of the bottom drawer on the sink's cupboard and tossed it into the shower as he climbed in.

 _"God, I miss you,"_ he thought to himself as tears filled his eyes and the waxy lubricant filled his hand.

* * *

Ten minutes later, he donned another borrowed shirt and a pair of his own loose black sweatpants and lightly limped down stairs.

When he got to the middle of the hallway that led from the front door to the kitchen, a voice he hadn't heard since last night filled his ears and made him lift his downed head.

"Hey, there."

He looked up to see Kevin sitting on bar stool next to the kitchen island, smirking at him as he sipped his coffee.

Edd's jaw dropped as he ran into the kitchen and jumped into a laughing Kevin's arms.

He tried, but failed to not cry again, and the redhead squeezed him tight as he whispered about how much he missed him.

"Wha-What are you doing here?," Edd asked when he finally pulled himself together and could look the redhead in the eye without crying, thus worrying him.

"Can't I come see you?," Kevin smiled.

"Well, _yes,"_ Edd blushed as he fiddled with the cuffs of the sleeves of the too large Peach College Football tshirt. "But don't you have class today?"

"Nah," Kevin grinned. "I think my teachers all wanted off early, too, because all my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes took the midterm on Monday or Wednesday and I only have two classes on Thursdays this semester, so I got out early."

"Early? But it's –"

" _I know,"_ Kevin sighed, "but I couldn't be here last night because everybody was at my grandma's for dinner for her bday and if I missed that…"

Edd nodded as he trailed off because if Kevin's parents came back from the birthday dinner in Cherry Hill, some fifteen minutes away, to see Kevin at the house, he'd been in a world of trouble for missing dinner with his family when there was no reason in Peach Creek for him to miss it as far as they knew because he and Nazz's relationship had simmered to a cool friendship _and_ she wasn't in town for spring break.

"And no practice?"

Kevin grinned again as he said, "Coach got married last weekend remember? They're doing their honeymoon over spring break, so he cancelled all practices for the rest of the week on Wednesday."

"Have they said anything about our gift?," Edd asked, brightening up again at the mention of the event that took over Kevin's Facebook and Instagram accounts the weekend before.

"Got a thank you note yesterday, but I didn't open it, yet, because I wanted you to see it," Kevin said as he pulled him closer. "Speaking of _you, WHY AREN'T YOU AT SCHOOL!?,"_ he asked, relieved that he hadn't gone up to the school to see him, figuring a surprise for when Edd got home was better.

Edd gave him his own grin that Kevin had to visible steel himself from becoming flustered at because he really wanted to know what was going on with his secret little lover at the moment.

"Senior Skip Day."

"WHAT?!"

"I need a _break,_ Kev," Edd sighed as his head fell on the redhead's shoulder. "So I told them that they needed to do it before midterm or prom and they picked prom because we were all busy studying at midterms and all the girls say the only time they have to get ready for it is _this weekend_ , so we're skipping today."

"Whoa," Kevin whispered as Edd's words settled in and Edd settled into his embrace.

* * *

They started dating when Edd was a freshman but Kevin was a junior.

And no one knew.

Time spent together was always disguised as friends and neighbors hanging out, and a few times, just two athletes helping each other out. With Kevin being the older of the two, his mentorship was warranted and needed.

And so was his love.

It crept up on them like moss on an oak tree. But like moss on a healthy tree, it helped their friendship and just who they were as people.

Except for that whole, being public about it all bit.

* * *

So they would be as friendly as they could be while Kevin had an _on again, off again_ relationship with Nazz that became officially off when they went off to college to give them a break from the bonds of home and a long distance relationship, but also a fresh start.

But only Kevin took it.

Edd's friendship with Marie grew in that time, but she was more like his best friend then his girlfriend, something even Eddy had a hard time dealing with. Between Kevin's jealousy and Eddy's, Edd was perpetually in a cycle of dealing with two headstrong people eager to just waste his time to keep him from _spending_ it with someone they didn't think deserved it.

If it wasn't for Eddy getting a job that took up much of his free time and taught him how to prioritize the little bit he had, and Kevin moving halfway across the state and having to spend time _alone_ , thus seeing that wasted time isn't always a good time, Edd was sure he was going to have to break up with _everybody_ sooner rather than later to get some sense of self back.

* * *

For the last two years, whenever Kevin would have a break from his own school, which was a good four hours away from Peach Creek, he would sneak over, but he'd usually call or text first because Edd's life without him was filled to the brim with class and extra-curricular things between being the class valedictorian and the class president, time to spend with his friends and time to spend alone.

He had hoped he'd take part in the fun, but permanent record busting event, but Edd hadn't said much about it.

And with the school district moving the date for prom from Friday night to Saturday night, but mere weeks after midterms, thus the deadline for final projects quickly becoming due, he could see why _the girls_ led the charge on making sure things with the dance of the year went off without a hitch.

"Yeah, so I'm skipping," Edd whispered as he snuggled closer.

"I can see that," Kevin snickered. "Also, is that my shirt?"

Edd tensed up as he quietly said, "Nuuuuu."

Kevin sniffed his shoulder as Edd quietly squealed before saying, "Smells like my shirt."

"Barely."

Kevin pulled back to see sad blue eyes looking down as Edd picked at the cuffs of the sleeves again.

"I've got more."

"I know," Edd said as he glanced up at him and then down again, not being able to handle the worried look in the hazel that surrounded his irises.

"But I'm gonna need this one back."

Edd blushed at his tone, but started to tug the shirt off anyways.

Kevin quickly grabbed his wrists, though, and said, "Not yet," before hoisting him over his shoulder and running upstairs.


	2. Leave It

A breeze from the window that faced Rolf's house next door met them at the threshold of Edd's room and Edd gasped as Kevin groaned.

"Shh," he whispered as he set the ravenette back on the floor and then quickly pulled the full sized mattress off the bed and on to the floor.

Edd didn't know whether to be turned on or scared by his actions, but his hands started to pull off his pants anyways.

Kevin's hoodie hit the deck and he was in the redhead's arms as he tried to pull his shirt off again.

"Leave it," Kevin all but ordered before dragging him down on the mattress.

"The window," Edd whispered as he pointed to the opened space above his head.

"Leave it," Kevin growled before kissing any concerns he had about the window or anything else away.

Hands and mouths went everywhere they could attach themselves to as so many needs were whispered out and fulfilled.

The visual of Kevin's head under his shirt as he sucked him off was hilarious, but the act in question had him feeling so sexy and wanted.

Kevin cocked a brow at him when he glanced between his face and stretched ass as Edd reeled in the orgasmic glow of his first blow job in _months,_ and he wanted to pout, and cry, and be angry, but he just laid there looking desperate instead.

"I'm sorry," Kevin said quietly as he leaned in to kiss him. "Let me make it up to you, okay?"

Edd nodded as he crawled over him and the mattress to dig a condom and lube out of the nightstand. He handed Edd the condom, who tossed it as he said, "Leave it," and pulled Kevin back over him.

* * *

It was Kevin who was insistent on their getting tested for STDs when they first started dating and Edd laughed in his pretty playboy face, but went to the clinic with him anyways.

He always told him that Marie was just a friend, but Kevin was too jealous to see it as he felt his actions with how he treated Nazz and every other girl that threw herself at him were _everyone's_ and despite his heart for Edd, he didn't trust Edd to feel the same until he went away to school and saw Edd living like he always did.

For Edd, he would always have friends, but there was no one else but Kevin for him to _love_.

When Kevin finally saw it for himself, he did everything in his power to keep it.

That meant tests every visit home, calling everyday to tell him how he was doing, just because gifts, and sneaking over whenever he could.

It was just last Halloween that he saw that he had Edd's trust well in hand when he saw his pictures of the football team's Halloween party and Edd teased him about his antics while the so many other worried long distance girlfriends of his teammates comments were snarky, pleading, angry, desperate, and everything else but happy that their boyfriends were having fun.

Ever since then, any chance that Edd gave him to just _take him_ , he'd take it like the gift it was. Even if the ensuing mess was enough to send Edd into tizzy that kinda sorta reminded Kevin of a panic attack, even if that wasn't what it was.

* * *

He lubed himself up as quickly as possible as the sun rose a bit more in the sky and gently pushed himself inside.

The strain wasn't _unbearable,_ but it did _sting_ , and with the window open, their communication was limited to huffed whispers, and the tiniest of moans and groans.

They kept their eyes on each other until Kevin bottomed out and the redhead buried his face in Edd's neck as Edd did his best to breathe through it all.

A small hand gripping his shoulder was Kevin's cue and he _moved_ , but not before pressing their mouths together to silence the moans that accompany the act.

Edd pulled him closer as he rolled his hips up and Kevin shoved his hands in his hair as they start to move together.

But Edd couldn't look at him or he'd just lose it.

* * *

They talked for two hours last night to go over Kevin's plans for the break.

With Edd still in school, there wasn't much they could do except maybe a movie night with the other Eds, Rolf, and Jimmy as Eddy and Johnny had to work every night. There would be a bonfire on Saturday night at Rolf's for everyone and they had a lunch date planned for Sunday afternoon before Kevin left.

And it all made Edd's heart _ache_.

He missed Kevin something fierce and with his own future life plans looming ahead of him, he knew he wouldn't get much scheduled time in with Kevin like this, as fleeting as it was, anymore.

 _Maybe_.

When would Kevin ask him about it, Edd gave his usual answer of trying to juggle offers.

He was smart, but so were a lot of other people, so his scholarships weren't much. His grants were small as well.

It was the middle of March and he was hanging on a thread of trying to figure out where to go and make sure he could pay for it all without asking for any extra help as he knew his parents wouldn't be pleased with what he had chosen to major in, let alone how he would live his life now that he was free to do so.

 _Or was he free?_

His parents didn't mind his extra-curriculars at school as they made him happy and his resume well rounded. They came to his debate tournaments and swim meets when they could and his mother called him in sick with the rest of the senior class that morning as was tradition, the school secretary having a nice giggle over it as Edd and his parents just didn't seem _the type._ But nearly every night at dinner since school started, both of his parents voiced their _choice_ that he look at careers in medical or scientific research as they had done.

He loved the sciences as they did, but not to _work_ in it.

But to teach it.

He had been grounded only once in his life for being involved in one of Eddy's scams that sent Sarah into a tizzy. After that, he nearly ran away for rendering the back alley behind the cul-de-sac useless for _days_ thanks to another one of Eddy's scams, but his friends and ultimately _Kevin_ saved him from having to give up his home and family name.

He wouldn't dare defy his parents again, except when it came to _this_.

But he couldn't dream of having the rest of his life lived the in any way but the way he saw fit. At the moment, he was killing himself with every lie to her and himself as he whispered love to someone who he shouldn't.

Because if they were caught they were good as dead.

Kevin, physically, himself in name only.

If he could get away anyways.

* * *

"Edd, _please."_

He raised his head to see Kevin looking at him with a desperate yearning and he nodded.

Kisses became softer.

Movements slower.

And for the first time in way too long, they made love.

 _"I need you."_

 _"I know."_

His dreams, his showers, his daydreams in history class didn't compare to _this_.

The trust he laid bare from the beginning had come back to him and brought love with it and he made a decision that would change their lives as Kevin covered him with kisses and his body clung to Kevin's own.

When he sat up a bit more to let Kevin know he was going to come, the gap in his teeth caught Kevin's earlobe and all he could do was whine as the redhead lost control.

The ability to breathe ceased to exist as his orgasm coursed through him and he collapsed back into the mattress when it was over. He only took a breath when Kevin fell on top of him and squeezed him tight.

Kevin's scruff tickled his neck as the redhead nuzzled his cheek and he giggled which made Kevin pull him closer.

As the afterglow faded, reality came crashing down with the breeze coming through the window and Edd realized he was sweaty and his torso covered in his own semen.

Kevin put a finger to his lips as he quickly grabbed his hoodie to clean them up as best he could before carrying Edd into the shower.

Edd shut the window when they came out and it gave Kevin the chance he needed to _loudly_ laugh and tease Edd for having so many of his things.

"It's been three years, Kevin," Edd sighed as he pulled one of his many _borrowed_ shirts on. "I was bound to have _something_ of yours at this point."

"Marie got anything?"

Edd rolled his eyes and threw his old junior varsity football hoodie in his face.


	3. Break Away

Kevin reheated their drinks as Edd scrolled through his Instagram feed and snickered at their friends enjoying the free day off.

"Why don't you go relax while I run to the house real quick?," Kevin suggested after he washed their cups and put them in the dish strainer next to the sink.

Edd shrugged as he limped into the living room and collapsed on the couch.

Twenty minutes later, Kevin came back, an overnight duffel on his shoulder, to find him asleep, phone still in hand, the screen frozen over his own Instagram page.

The last picture he posted was a _throwback Thursday_ photo of himself and Nat at the fishing hole near where Kevin's parents' cabin was.

Edd had liked it a few hours after he posted it, so he knew the ravenette was probably just scrolling through it again because…

Of the same reason he was wearing one of his old tshirts at the moment.

And the reason why he texted him right before he went to lunch.

And the reason why he'd called him right after school as Kevin was going to practice.

And would Facetime him every chance he could.

And why he was standing in his living room in the middle of a Friday morning on his own spring break instead of in Cape Canaveral with his baseball buddies.

He jogged into the kitchen and let his socks glide him to the fridge where Edd kept a small magnetic whiteboard that had a small box attached to it for PostIt notes.

He quickly scribbled out a note that he stuck to Edd's forehead before running back across the street to grab his dad's truck and make a quick phone call.

* * *

 _"Kevie!,"_ a hyper active tenor squealed into his ears as he packed another duffel bag.

"Yeah, it's me. You gonna be at the spot this year?"

 _"Yep, we're here now, actually,"_ Nat said as he put Kevin on speaker. _"Say hi to Kev, James!"_

 _"Yo,"_ Rave called to him and then Nat was back. _"You coming out here?! I thought you'd be in Florida or something."_

"Nah," Kevin grinned as he hit the button to open the garage door. "Had grandma's birthday yesterday, and the 'rents want me to check on the cabin this weekend before they come up, so I'm headed there now. And I might need a spot."

Nat caught the down turn in his tone as he ended his statement and sighed as he said, _"It's about time, Dude."_

"Shut up, Nat," Kevin groaned even though he knew his teal headed friend was right.

 _"Never,"_ Nat giggled. _"But me casa es su casa and some such. How soon til ya get here?"_

"Couple of hours," Kevin said as he climbed into the truck and put Nat on speaker as he backed the truck into Edd's driveway. "And I got somebody I want you to meet."

 _"What?!"_

"Yeah, so I need you to not be an ass, okay?"

The trepidation in his friend's voice calmed Nat's peacocking a bit.

But only a bit.

 _"Is he cute?"_

"Fucking adorable," Kevin whined as he hit his head on the steering wheel.

 _"Oh, boy. Okay. Yah. Just bring him up,"_ Nat said hurriedly as Kevin continued to whine. _"It's gonna be okay, Kev. If he likes you –"_

"He loves me, you jackass," Kevin hissed as he stepped out of the truck and quickly ran back into the house.

 _"Then you'll be fine."_

"Okay, okay," Kevin sighed as Edd rolled over in his sleep, muttering, _"Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy."_

 _"Breathe, Barr."_

"Breathing," Kevin said as he let loose a deep breath. "I gotta go, though."

 _"Yeah, sure. Just call when you get here."_

"Yeah, later," Kevin said as he took the steps to Edd's bedroom two at a time.

* * *

Edd woke up in the backseat of Francis Barr's pickup truck in a strange Wal-Mart parking lot, wrapped up in Kevin's favorite quilt his great grandma had made for him before she passed away, with a PostIt note stuck to his forehead.

 _Ran inside to get some stuff BRB_

 _-Kev_

He tried to stretch as he read the note, but saw that his own oversized duffel bag was at his feet. When he rolled over, he saw his laptop bag was on the floor behind the passenger seat and two more duffle bags were behind the driver's seat.

His phone buzzed in the pocket of his hoodie and he saw that he had a few texts from Ed and Eddy, a missed phone call from Marie and emails from his school counselor and mother.

But considering that it seemed like Kevin had essentially kidnapped him, he only responded to his counselor and his mother.

A meeting to talk to a college recruiter was rescheduled and he explained to his mother that he would be gone all weekend to be with a friend to take a break from things, but would be back by Sunday evening and would do the grocery shopping when he returned.

As he closed out his email app, he got a text.

Marie: Hey can we hang later?

Edd: Can't. I'm out of town ATM and won't be back til Sunday.

Marie: Cool! What you doing?

Edd: TAKING. A. BREAK.

Marie: LOL I GET IT. I'll see you Sunday maybe?

Edd: MAYBE

When he sent the text, a sense of foreboding washed over him.

He didn't know where he was or how he got there or what Kevin had planned for this sudden trip.

So he did the only thing he knew to do when his anxiety kicked up and he could do nothing.

He laid his head down, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Edd sat up with a start and Kevin put his hands up defensively as Edd looked around the room they were in.

It was an expansive space with an open floor plan.

They were in the living room on the couch but the kitchen was in front of them and to the left of where Kevin was sitting, was a dining room.

"Where are we?," Edd asked as he stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"My parents' place," Kevin replied as he drew Edd into a cuddle. "They wanted me to come and check up on it because they're coming up this week for their anniversary but can't do it themselves because of work and shit."

Edd nodded as the suddenness of it all settled in him and then he shuddered and let a good bit of it out.

"Why did you bring _me,_ though?"

Kevin looked into pensive blue eyes and gave him a small smirk.

"I kinda need your help to clean it up and I figured we could hang out a bit before you went back to school."

"You _know_ you could have asked first," Edd grinned as he wrapped his arms around Kevin's neck and the redhead rolled his eyes. "Because I'd rather not ever wake up in some random Wal-Mart parking lot and you leave a note on my damn forehead."

"Eddward! No swearing!," Kevin admonished and Edd laughed.

"I could have _sworn_ that _this_ was kidnapping!"

"Not when you're 18 and in love with me."

 _Unamused blue met mischievous green._

"Can we not use my age and feelings _against me?!_

Kevin gave him a cocked brow and knowing look and Edd dropped his head in some regret as old conversations on Kevin's age and feelings bounced around in both their heads.

Age may bring some maturity, but you usually don't forget what brought it all on.

"I'm sorry," Edd whispered. "That was rude of me."

"Apology accepted," Kevin said softly as he kissed his forehead. "Know anything about bedbugs?"


	4. Careful

There were no bedbugs in the cabin, and the dust was cleared away, cupboards filled with the food Kevin had bought at Wal-Mart and they had a late lunch before Kevin settled down for a nap and Edd used Kevin's phone's wi-fi hotspot to get some things rolling on the decision he made that morning.

When Kevin woke up, he saw Edd in his glasses, staring at the laptop's screen as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

Because he did so much work on the mobile PC unit, he had a filter screen put over the monitor and would wear special glasses while he was on it for any long length of time to reduce the strain on his eyes from the light being emitted from the screen.

But no one else could ever see what he was working on as the screen made things fuzzy in general and Edd had his monitor set up to his specification so that only he could really see what was on it even without his special glasses.

So as he typed away, Kevin just stared and wondered until his phone buzzed.

"It's been going off every ten minutes or so for the last forty five minutes," Edd said as he stared at the screen. "I didn't look to see who it was because I've kinda been busy with this," he lightly gestured with his left hand while his right continued to type.

"Meh, it's prolly just Nat anyways," Kevin said as he picked up the phone and saw that it was indeed Nat who had been texting him and asking where _they_ were.

"Oh?"

Edd knew about Kevin's old friend who grew up near the town the cabin was adjacent to and went to college a couple of towns away. Despite the distance between them growing up, the two remained friends and Edd knew they would often get together during school breaks. Those get togethers got to be more frequent once Kevin got his driver's license and even more regular once he got his motorcycle and motorcycle license to go with it.

"Yeah, he's in town, too, with his boyfriend," Kevin said as he texted Nat back.

"He has a _boyfriend?!"_

Kevin shot him a glance and smiled.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Don't know how he deals with Nat's dumb ass, though."

Edd just nodded and focused his attention back on the screen til Kevin tapped his shoulder and leaned in for a kiss.

"Listen, I'm gonna go see if I can catch something down at lake for dinner. Why don't you come down when you're done?"

"Yeah, sure," Edd said as Kevin headed out the back door.

* * *

They had catfish for dinner and when Kevin suggested a fishing trip for lunch, Edd got him to compromise on meeting him at the fishing hole because he was just about done with the work he had set out to do for the weekend.

The redhead's phone buzzed, beeped, and rang all morning as Edd made moves, but he ignored them for setting out notifications of his own.

With his school choice in place, he shut down his laptop, covered himself in sunscreen, grabbed Kevin's phone and walked down to the small pier at the end of the path that started at the backdoor.

* * *

He recognized the teal haired young man who was talking wildly with his hands as he sat next to a laughing Kevin from the pictures the redhead would post from time to time online and seeing their report in person was a bit amusing.

He cleared his throat a bit as he approached and smiled as Kevin's face lit up when he saw him coming.

"Figure everything out?," he asked as Edd handed him his phone back.

"Yeah, I think so," Edd sighed.

"Ahem!"

"Edd, meet Nat," Kevin said as he rolled his eyes. "Nat, this is Edd."

"Holy shit, you _are_ cute," Nat grinned as he gave Edd his hand.

"Thanks?," Edd said with a bit of a snicker as he shook his hand and Nat cocked a brow.

"Ah, ah, ah," he tutted as he wagged a finger at him. "Don't be so modest. Not everyone can be cute."

"Yeah, because you're so goddamned adorable."

They all turned to see a young man with a deep tan, chestnut eyes, and mahogany hair walk up to Nat and pop the top of his head.

"James Castellanos," the young man said as he held his hand that he wasn't popping Nat with out to Edd. "But you can call me Rave."

"Eddward Vincent," Edd replied as he shook Rave's hand. "But you can call me Edd, or Double D if you like."

"Oooh, Double Cutie!," Nat squealed and _Kevin_ socked his arm as Rave gave him a look.

"Please don't," Edd said firmly, a little put off by Nat's flirting and Kevin _smirked_.

 _"Fine,"_ Nat said as he rubbed his head and rolled his eyes.

"Thank you," Edd grinned and even Rave cracked a smile.

"You _are_ cute, though," Rave said with a nod. "Just don't let this idiot get to you."

"I'm sitting _right here,_ " Nat whined so Rave pushed him out of his chair and plopped himself in it.

"Shut up, Goldburg," Rave said as he leaned back in the chair and Nat pouted.

Kevin snickered at their antics as he stood and pulled Edd back to his chair and into his lap.

"It's cool," Kevin said as Edd stiffened a bit. "They know."

Edd turned wide blue eyes on soft green and Kevin kissed his nose.

"It's ok, Edd," he said. "They're like us. They get it."

Rave gave him a small nod as he said, "Trust me, I know how this feels, kid, but it's gonna be ok."

"But when you gonna tell _them,_ Kev?," Nat asked as he sat up from the spot Rave shoved him in.

"Tell _who_ _what,_ Kevin?," Edd asked as his eyes got even wider and his stomach started churning.

"My parents," Kevin sighed. "About me. And _maybe_ us, but definitely me."

"Why not both of you?!," Nat asked in exasperation and Edd started to curl in on himself.

"Because he's not out, either, dude," Kevin hissed at him as he wrapped his arms around a shaking Edd.

Nat heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes at Rave's knowing look as Kevin did his best to soothe Edd.

* * *

The cabin had two bedrooms and a loft. The second bedroom had a single twin bed in it, but the loft had a full sized bed that Kevin said that any visiting family and friends got to sleep in as the second bedroom was his.

But he never let Edd sleep alone if he could help it, so they took to the loft.

Edd didn't get an ounce of sleep that night.

* * *

When Kevin's parents arrived the next day, Edd was taking a late morning nap in the redhead's lap while Kevin played on his phone.

"Is that _Edd?!,"_ Francis said as he stormed in the front door, intent on shaking off the long ride and go to the bathroom.

Edd sat up with a start as Kevin grabbed him to keep him from falling off the couch.

"Yes," Kevin said tersely. "He came up to help me get the place set up."

"And now he's in _your lap?"_

Matching emerald eyes had a bit of a staring match as Edd got out of Kevin's lap and quickly slid to the other side of the couch to silence the alarm on his phone.

"Didn't you have to go to the bathroom, Frankie?," Isabella, Kevin's mom asked as she came inside and dropped her luggage by the door. "Oh hello, Edd," she smiled and Edd smiled back.

"Hello, Ms Izzy. How was your trip?"

 _"Long,"_ she sighed as she looked at her husband, who ran to the bathroom in the master suit. "What are you doing here?"

"Just helping Kevin here and meeting some of his friends."

"Oh, that's nice!," she beamed as she came to kiss her son's forehead. "Good for you for getting him some new friends."

"Thanks, Ma," Kevin chuckled. "Hey, Edd, umm…you ready to go, or…"

Scared blue met pensive green as Edd said, "I think I need to go."

Kevin nodded sadly in understanding and sent a text to Nat, who showed up some twenty minutes later, as Kevin's parents were getting settled in.

"Be careful with him," Kevin told Nat when he walked Edd to the car and Nat assured him he would.

The trip to the bus station was quiet and Nat showed him how to read the schedule, bought him a lunch he couldn't bear to eat, and gave him a solid hug when the bus pulled up.

But he left Edd with the same words Kevin had told him.

 _"Be careful with him."_


	5. From A To Zed

Word quickly made it back to Peach Creek, and by Monday afternoon, the whole town knew Kevin was gay.

He had moved out of his parents place by Tuesday and the wagons circled as ex-girlfriends shamed him in public and on line.

Ed, Rolf, Jimmy, and Johnny were his only friends to support him, while Eddy hit up every girl he could because, _"At least I'm not gay."_

He went back to the lake to stay with Nat and cancelled the rest of his plans for the week as it just wasn't safe for him to stay in town.

And Edd soon discovered how unsafe it was for _him_ as well when his mother informed him that one of her friends saw him talking to the redhead at the library in town and _grilled_ him about it as his father angrily looked on.

A simple conversation before Kevin left town for good turned into Edd being accused of being as _disgusting_ as Kevin and admonished for being _seen with a degenerate_ despite his denials that made him _sick._

"At least Eddy isn't gay," his father said as he followed his mother out of room once she laid down the law: No communication with Kevin.

 _Ever._

Considering that his parents were his _friends_ on Facebook, he lived under their roof, and they paid the bills, he had to cut him off.

Once his mother was satisfied that he wouldn't _disappoint her like that again_ , she and his father left him to himself as they had always done, only really showing up to take the sendoff pictures when he and his friends went to prom, for his National Honor Society Senior Cord Ceremony, his Senior Night with the swim team, formal dinner with the debate team, and graduation.

But Kevin noticed that his smile never quite reached his eyes.

Until graduation.

* * *

The small film company that Rave worked for had been taping graduations in the area for decades. So when Nat told him about Edd's graduation, he signed on as a volunteer to tape the ceremony and got a front row seat to the shock that shook Peach Creek High's 2017 graduating class.

Edd's valedictorian speech had been raked over the coals by his mother, his speech teacher, his principal, and the school district superintendent .

But instead of telling his classmates to go out into the world and let the morals and values that brought them thus far carry them on, he implored them to blaze their own paths not made ready by those before, lest they fall into the trappings of a life that isn't their own, but one that was being lived by others by proxy because they were too scared, cheap, or boring to go live their own.

And he admonished the adults in their lives for not encouraging them to do so in the first place.

But supporters, the ones who were there to not only help and guild, but to push and pull, to cheer and comfort, were needed and their special brand of support graciously accepted.

The adults who had reviewed his speech were stone faced as it was cheered with great enthusiasm.

He was the first to be handed a diploma and the picture of the moment Rave sent Nat and Kevin showed the grin they hadn't seen in some six weeks.

* * *

After a few quick pictures with his friends when the ceremony was over, he walked with his parents to his car, which was parked next to theirs, where his mother demanded that he hand over the keys to the vehicle, _her house_ , and then snatched his phone from him.

"Nat!," he called out as his phone was yanked from his hands, and the peacock sheepishly peeked over his parents car with his lawyer.

"Heeeeeey, Double Deluxe," he grinned and while Edd's parents looked horrified, Edd was exasperated.

"Really?!"

"Excuse me," Nat said as he cleared his throat and stood up straighter. "Mr Vincent and Mrs Vincent, I do believe that harassment is a misdemeanor in this state punishable by a $500 fine and/or six months in jail."

"Yes," Edd's father said sternly, "and I'll be sure that my lawyer is well aware of what you're doing."

"Ah, ah, ah," Nat tutted as he wagged his finger at the tall blond man who gave Edd his blue eyes. "What you're doing to poor Eddward here is harassment as well."

"You'll see by these files," Nat's lawyer said as he handed over three files to Edd's parents, "That the car here is in Eddward Vincent's name only, his name is on the deed to the house that I have on file as being his home address, and his cell phone is in his own name as well. So what you're doing is considered harassment at best and _theft_ at worst."

Edd's parents froze as they looked over the files and Edd stripped his cap and gown away and carefully placed them in the car as he made plans with Nat.

"So we're going Pho House?"

"Yeah, and I'm thinking Frosting for dessert?," Nat suggested and Edd nodded.

"Oooh, I want one of their big red velvet cupcakes," he grinned and Nat snickered.

"God, you're cute."

"God, I'm taken."

"Doesn't stop you from being cute," Nat smiled and Edd rolled his eyes as his father called his name.

"Considering that your name is officially on the car and your phone as your own," the man said through clenched teeth, "we will leave the handling of their care to _you._ But we will be discussing _the house_ as soon as we get home."

He gave them a look and smiled as he saw a million plans for his life shatter in their eyes. His mother's dark curls seemed to droop in the late spring evening breeze as a few tears fell out of her eyes and she bit her lip to hold the rest back.

Nat had seen the same sad, worried look on Edd's face damn near two months ago and he told her the same thing he told Edd over lunch the Sunday Kevin broke his own parents hearts.

"He'll be fine and so will you as long as you all take care of yourselves and learn to love him in the light."

But Edd knew better.

Years of being alone, his friends his only _everything_ , taught him that they would never be what he needed them to be to him and for him. And as he stood on the threshold of adulthood, he let it all go.

"The sheriff and I will be at the house in the morning," he told his parents.

But he shot Nat a grin as he started the car.

Nat cocked a brow.

Then he met _Double Devious._

 _"Race ya!"_

Nat _sprinted_ to his car, but Edd still beat him to the restaurant by five minutes.

* * *

Scanning the parking lot when he pulled in, he didn't see a familiar Harley, or the beat up Ford Ranger that Nat said Kevin bought with what was left of the money his parents hadn't stripped of him in his college fund.

He texted his plans to Ed, Rolf, Johnny, and Jimmy and while Ed, Jimmy, and Johnny would be missing dinner as they were celebrating with Ed and Johnny's family's, they all said they would meet them at the artisan cupcake shop in a couple of hours.

He sighed, leaned back, and closed his eyes as he debated on what he would tell Eddy, but a moment later, there was a gentle knock at his car window.

He sat up and yelped and as soon as he calmed down he was greeted by a familiar snicker and two words.

"Hey, there."

* * *

Rave helped him construct the message that he sent to Eddy to convince him to come to the cupcake shop and he enjoyed his first meal with Kevin in way too long.

The sneaking around had worn on him and he was just relived to be out in public with his friend with no fear.

He had messaged Nat as soon as he cut Kevin off to explain himself and Nat begged him to call as soon as he could.

After his parents had gone to bed, he hid away in the basement in his old lab corner and had a three way phone call with Kevin and Nat and cried his heart out.

Kevin was in the thick of picking up the pieces of his own life and his body as well, as his _talk_ with his parents had escalated into a brawl with his father who wanted to just beat _the gay_ out of him and he ended up with a broken nose, bruised jaw, two chipped teeth, and three broken fingers.

The school covered his medical care during his sporting seasons and any other injuries were taken on a case by case basis.

So Nat stepped in and paid to piece Kevin's face and hands back together as they racked their brains on what to do with the rest of his life as his parents hadn't been as meticulous about taking care of his future life as Edd's had.

With Edd's foresight into the redhead's life, they got the already in motion transfers of Kevin's college fund to his bank account which helped him get his truck, and Edd found him a few grants to help cover the expenses his now non-existent college fund wouldn't.

Then Nat's lawyer reviewed Edd's life as Edd knew that after his parents made him cut off his contact with his cross street neighbor, they wouldn't take his own coming out well at all.

His parents' intent with his life was to leave him the house if anything incapacitating ever were to happen to them, but to remain as _contacts_ on any major purchases they bought for him as long he didn't have the means to care for himself, but to also make sure his name was on them as well just in case they were incapacitated. At least this way, he was free to live in the house, drive his car, and use his cell phone as freely as it was his own, and not just something they funded.

 _But he hadn't come out;_ just defied them and his school.

And for his parents, that was enough to strip him bare until he got back in line.

Edd, however, was already _stripped_.

He had spent three years living in love in the damn dark. His days were filled with lies to Marie and himself and his nights with love filled promises from Kevin.

And he was done.

But he wasn't.


	6. Breaking The Chains

Everyone was shocked to see Kevin in the cupcake shop next to the candy store that ruled their childhood.

Outside of Eddy, he was greeted warmly as were Nat and Rave.

Rolf bought the two lovebirds a wedding cake cupcake to celebrate _finally_ being able to truly be _together._

And thus, they were _out._

 _Everyone_ had questions and they answered them as best they could. Edd was grateful for the high sugar content in their desserts as he was needing all of his energy to keep up with everyone's inquires.

But as the night wore on, he grew weary.

"Where are you staying tonight?," Kevin asked as Edd picked at the cherry sprinkles left over from his red velvet cupcake.

Edd's mind went blank for a brief moment as he hadn't really _thought_ about where he'd stay the night, just that he knew he wouldn't spend another one in his _parents' house._

"You should stay with Ed," Eddy suggested and Kevin and Double D looked at him in shock. "I know, I know," the shortest Ed sighed as he waved off their confused stares. "But if you're gonna get your things from your parents tomorrow, the closer you are to the house, the better. Plus, we can hang and make sure they don't do something stupid with your stuff."

If there was one thing about Eddy that Edd had to admire, it was the fact that when he came up with a plan, it was usually a good one. His only problem had ever been _execution,_ but he had gotten better at that over the years. And he had a point about keeping an eye on his parents until he could officially remove himself from their clutches. He knew he had a dark side and the rumor was he got it from _both_ of his parents. Knowing how he could be when he was set off, he wouldn't put it past his parents to do something vindictive to _punish_ him for defying them.

He gave Kevin a pensive look and the redhead squeezed his hand as he kissed his temple.

"Go," Kevin whispered. "He's right and you need your things."

Eddy snorted even though Kevin shot him a dark glare and Edd cleared his throat to put the kibosh on the simmering tension growing between his lover and his best friend.

"Ok, I'll go to Ed's tonight and we can head to my parents in the morning to get my stuff," he sighed.

"But where are ya gonna put it all Double D?," Ed asked and everyone but Nat gasped and wondered aloud at what Edd would do next because he was now homeless.

"I've got this," Nat said as he waved his hand and stepped out with Rave to make a few phone calls that would bring Edd _home._

* * *

The next morning, Edd woke to find that everything but the furniture in his room had been packed and placed on the front lawn, with the Chief of Police watching over it as a Sheriff's Deputy helped Edd go through everything and then load it all in the pickup truck that Nat had rented.

"Where to?," the peacock asked as Kevin closed the tailgate and gave Edd a smooch goodbye before hopping in his own truck and peeling out, not wanting to be around so many now bittersweet memories anymore.

"Madison."

"WHAT?!," Nat screeched at him and Edd jumped back and put his hands up defensively. "You _know_ he's spending _the summer_ with _me?!"_

Edd nodded slowly as he knew that Kevin's roommate had asked him to leave when the semester ended and since practice for the football team wouldn't start up until the beginning of August, he would be spending the summer with Nat as the baseball team didn't get into the playoffs and their season ended a week before Edd's graduation. A graduation that was delayed by the school year starting two weeks later than normal due to Peach Creek's actual creek cresting in a 100 year flood that closed half the town down for a month.

And Nat had opted to spend the summer in his old hometown because Rave was involved in the community theater there in the summer.

This all meant that Edd would be in the same college town that Kevin lived in during the school year _alone_ for a good two months before Kevin came back to town for school in the fall.

"Can you come down or -?"

Edd cut him off with a sad shake of his head.

"I appreciate your help, Nathan," he sighed. "I honestly do. But I _have_ to get down there as soon as possible to get settled in and get to work."

Nat nodded, but gave him a stern look and Edd wanted to cry.

"Just… _please_ take care of him for me?"

Nat rolled his eyes as the lies rolled on.

As far as Kevin knew, Edd was staying in Peach Creek. Despite a change in his relationship status on Facebook, no one really cared as many treated it all as an extension of his _dork_ status. Even Marie shrugged it all off for the most part as she had her own suspicions that they only confirmed during dessert with everyone on graduation night.

So with Edd's safety confirmed, he was okay with leaving him alone until the fall when he would _finally_ announce his school choice in the safety of that school's environment.

But Edd did tell him he would be working all summer and that they would probably only get to hang out over the long Fourth Of July weekend.

 _Maybe_.

The distance and time apart was nothing new and Kevin rolled with their plans as he rolled out of town.

However, now that Nat knew better, he wondered if he could hold it together.

But with their requests of him to help take care of the other rattling around his noggin, he willed himself to hold on.

"He'll be back August 7th," he said firmly and Edd smiled.

"I know. Don't worry. I've got it all taken care of."

"You better," he said as he wagged a finger at him, climbed into the rented pickup and followed Edd to the town where he would start over with the one who started them.

* * *

DoubleDork: Can you meet me at the coffee shop on Pine St in Madison at 7?

Kevin had read the message at least three dozen times the day he came back to town.

Edd had texted him as soon as he got up because he was up and half way to work at that hour so Kevin knew he would be to get message to him and Kevin would respond back at a decent clip before Edd went off line for a few hours.

He had responded in the affirmative, and their day went on as normal, but he couldn't see any reason why Edd would be in his town on a random Monday and in the evening no less.

As soon as Coach gave them their marching orders for the evening; dinner, free time, curfew by 10, Kevin ran back to his new apartment on campus, showered, changed, and then headed into town to see _Edd_.


	7. Breakthrough

He saw him through the small shop's front window.

Edd was sitting towards the back of the small space, taping away at his phone, a small grin on his face as would occasionally sip his ice green tea.

There was a cup of soup on a plate that held the remnants of what Kevin could assume was a sandwich and considering that it was dinner time and Edd had a _thing_ about eating _on time,_ the fact that he was done with dinner already didn't surprise him.

But a barista coming to the table with a Panini and bottle of Dr Pepper did.

And then his phone buzzed.

DoubleDork: Are you close?

He walked inside and as the bell above the door rang, Edd's head shot up and _that grin_ crossed his face as Kevin strode to the table he was sitting at and kissed the top of his head.

"What are you doing here?," he grinned once he sat down and Edd slid a folded over PostIt note to him.

"Wanted to give you that," he said as he pointed at the note and sipped his tea.

Kevin looked at the note and saw that there was address and phone number on the paper and in the back of his mind, the area code and prefix of the phone number should have been familiar as should the street address to the apartment.

But when he saw _the name of the town_ on the small yellow piece of sticky paper, he froze, his blood ran cold, but a warmth filled him that kept an icy shock at bay.

"Wha…who…?," he stuttered as his brain tried to figure everything out.

Edd took a deep breath and said, "That's my address here in town and the number to my apartment because cell phone service in the place sucks, so I figured a land line would be a good idea."

"When did you get to town?!"

"The day after graduation," Edd said as he looked at the mound of trash on his plate, his remorseful gaze unable to meet Kevin's shocked own.

"So you've been here _two months_ and _didn't tell me?!"_

"The only reason I didn't tell you," Edd began as he gave him a silencing glare, "was because I didn't want to worry you. You were staying at Nat's all summer and I had to stay here for work. What good does you knowing _then_ do us when all you would do was worry both of us to death all summer?"

"But I was already worried, Edd," Kevin hissed at him and Edd's veneer _cracked._

 _"I know."_

Kevin looked at him curiously because he knew he didn't raise his voice at him and it was rare for Edd to be so upset when Kevin told the truth. To him, the truth was better than a lie and more easy to accept.

So his change in demeanor threw the redhead.

And then he broke his heart.

"I know you worry, but I've _always_ been fine because _no one_ has cared beyond my friends and they only cared as far as they could help without hurting themselves. And that would never happen because no one cares about them, either," Edd said quietly as tears sprang into his eyes. "When people don't care, they don't bother. And the only person to truly bother about me has been you."

"Wait a min," Kevin said, a bit more tensely than he would of liked, but he was just that angry. "You're telling me that _no one_ cares where you are right now?"

"My parents were ready to put me out because I gave the, and I quote, "wrong speech," at graduation, remember?," Edd said exasperatedly as he made air quotes around the words, 'wrong speech.' "And you were there when they _did_ put my things out before I could talk to them about anything because they saw my Facebook update about being with you, so I just left and came here. I got an internship in the research department at Madison State right before Christmas, and it really was just a matter of making sure a few more scholarships and grants and things were accepted here before I could officially enroll. Everything was ready to go the week of finals, but then everything happened with you at spring break and I just…"

Kevin slipped his hand into Edd's and gave it a squeeze as he groaned.

"And you were just worried about me."

"Yeah," Edd said softly as he nodded and so many memories came rushing back.

* * *

As they got closer, Edd's concerns weren't really for himself as his parents never paid much attention to him after he started high school beyond making sure his grades were always _stellar_ , the house was clean, and he stayed out of trouble.

But Kevin's parents were _very concerned_ about his image and their own.

They were the quintessential All-American family, minus the extra kid and a half and the dog.

God, country, family.

In.

That.

Order.

If the true intimacy of their relationship was found out, especially since Kevin initiated it, he was as good as dead.

Edd could hide at his friends, which he did plenty of just to have some damn company from time to time.

Kevin didn't really have that luxury as Nazz's parents wouldn't be too keen on him hanging out after dark, Rolf got up even earlier than Edd to do his morning farming chores that Kevin had _zero_ interest in, and Johnny and Plank were just _too much_ for the redhead.

And when they all went off to college, breaks never aligned in a way for Kevin to have a space to stay at when he needed it.

So they stayed quiet, unspoken words lingering between quick glances, a kiss in the dark, and the occasional wave from across the street.

But Kevin had had enough and went public because at this point, his life had been pretty much his own since he signed on to play at the biggest school in the state.

The university ran his life with a gentle, but firm hand.

Every class, practice, even visits with his parents was calculated to get the most use out of his athleticism.

Kevin was smart enough to use the time off he would get to occasionally relax and then take his recharged mind and body and expend it all on what his heart needed; phone calls and texts to Edd, blowing off steam with his sporting buddies, napping, and taking the quick trip up to Nat's hometown to fish or just hang out when he couldn't come see his parents and ultimately _Edd_ and try to _figure everything out._

But Edd would worry because he knew they couldn't stay hidden for long and while he may lose his home, his life was ultimately safe.

When everything came to a head and his greatest fears were realized, Kevin had the strength to fight back and save himself.

But _they_ were going to need a bit more help.

* * *

While he waited til the last possible minute to do so, he hoped that Kevin would see that his plan was the only possible way to move them both to the next stage of their lives _and_ keep them safe. If he said anything a moment before school started in the fall, Edd would be alone and at the mercy of the town as the university just wasn't able to protect him during the summer.

But in the fall, they would both be okay.

They would be more than okay.

They would be _safe and free._

Free to do what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it, be it together or alone.

A break to the movies could be taken together without having to wait on the other to get the time and money to see it, so they could talk about it together over lunch or dinner together.

A break to hang out with friends wouldn't be done out of loneliness for the other, but to recharge as a _person_ and they would _both_ be better for it.

And a break to just be alone to _breathe_ when it all got to be too much wouldn't be seen as being blown off out of fear of have done something wrong, or worry over what the world had done to bring his man down, but pull himself back together so he could be there for his man and to take on the world when it came knocking on his door.

This summer break had been the toughest either had ever dealt with, but now he was ready to start fresh, even as the world around them started to die off as the cool of autumn settled in.

* * *

"You don't have to worry anymore, Edd."

Edd looked up into soft green eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

"You need to eat," Edd said with a soft smile and shot him a faux worried look and Kevin snorted as he dug into his favorite Panini.

Thankfully, his sandwich was still warm, but not as filling as the ice cream they got after they left the coffee shop.

Because Edd could walk to the coffee shop and then they walked together to the ice cream store, Kevin had to take him home.

* * *

The apartment was tiny, just a simple studio that one of Edd's grants was paying for as his internship barely enough paid to keep food in his belly, let alone all of his most basic of expenses.

Kevin wasn't keen on how he had to take all of the money he had gotten for being such a good student and spend it all in one place just to _live_ , but at least they were living together.

 _Right?_

"Why here?," Kevin asked once Edd explained his life's arrangements over water for himself and tea for Edd.

"Because I wanted to be with you," Edd cooed and Kevin gave him a hard stare as his cheeks went as red as his hair. "Ok, ok," he giggled as Kevin's stare went from hard to pouty in an effort to look angry. "Madison is the only place I can afford to go _and_ study to _teach_ biology like I wanted and not have to take out student loans to do it. All my grants and scholarships renew every year as long as I stay a full time student and keep my GPA at a 3.0 or above."

"You want to teach?"

"Always have," Edd shrugged as he took in the slightly awed and curious look on Kevin's face.

"You're parents are gonna have their work cut out with dealing with the competition from you," Kevin snickered as he leaned back a bit on the futon at the end of Edd's bed.

"Not really," the ravenette sighed. "They never wanted me to go into teaching."

Kevin looked him over and saw him get lost in his old, sad thoughts of the life he once had and lost because he did what he wanted to do despite what other people wanted for him.

And suddenly, his speech at graduation made sense.

It wasn't just about accepting relationships and even friendships like theirs, it was about being helpful support as people lived their _lives_.

But the Vincent's wouldn't go for _that_ as it stood in the way of the what they felt was best, even if it wasn't what was best for Edd.

His leaving was inevitable, Kevin just forced his hand.

But Edd held on.

Kevin squeezed his hand as he said, "Well, you're going to teach them anyways because _living_ is the best revenge."

"When did you get so smart?," Edd asked with a cocked brow and a smirk.

"Sometime around my senior year," Kevin shrugged as he leaned in for a kiss and Edd whimpered into the kiss as he remembered they fell in love Kevin's senior year and it always made him feel so special to know that _he_ was the reason Kevin had come into his own the way he had. "And I have feeling that this next senior year is gonna be even better," he grinned as he pecked Edd's nose and the ravenette giggled.

They cuddled for a bit on the futon and made a few plans for the week as each new school year brought a new groove with it and it was going to take some work to find a routine for their new life.

But Kevin promised to come for breakfast every morning.

Edd never looked forward to the break of day in his life.

 ** _The End_**


End file.
